8:00 PM, Doors at 7:30 PM
$25
“Montoya is a show-stopper…Heartfelt singing and merciless guitar with a wicked icy burn…he swings like a jazz man and stings like the Iceman, Albert Collins. He is one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation.” –Living Blues
“Stratocaster-fueled, fierce slash-and-burn guitar work…dramatic, smoldering Southern soul-rooted intensity. Montoya’s voice is as expressive as his guitar.” –Washington Post
The old Willie Dixon quote, “blues is truth,” perfectly describes the searing, contemporary blues-rock of world-renowned guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya. Taught by the “Master of the Telecaster,” Albert Collins, but with a hard-edged sound and style all his own, Montoya mixes his forceful, melodic guitar playing and passionate vocals with memorable songs, delivering the blues’ hardest truths.
He earned his status as a master guitarist and soul-powered vocalist through years of paying his dues as a sideman with Collins (first as a drummer) and then with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, before launching his solo career in 1993. Five years of constant touring with Collins and ten years with Mayall turned him into a monster player and dynamic performer.
Montoya has released eight solo albums – including three for Alligator Records between 2000 and 2007 – and has played at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world. Guitar Player Magazine says Montoya plays “stunning, powerhouse blues with a searing tone, emotional soloing, and energetic, unforced vocals.”